New Imaging Technique on the Horizon

A new imaging system being licensed by GE Healthcare is said to enable surgeons to see and remove diseased tissue with little or no damage to normal surrounding tissue. The new imaging system, called FLARE (Fluorescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration), highlights cancerous tissue in the body using special chemical dyes, called NIR fluorophores.

Researchers say they have already used the FLARE to successfully visualize organs and body fluids of mice and map the lymph nodes of pigs in real time. Human clinical trials have not yet begun in the United States.